Philippine Gov't Budget Utilization Hits 94.6% by End-July

GOVERNMENT agencies posted a cash utilization rate of 94.6% at the end of July, running ahead of the 94% year-earlier pace, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) said. In its latest Notice of Cash Allocations (NCAs) Utilization Report, the DBM said the National Government, local government units (LGUs), and government-owned and -controlled corporations (GOCCs) used P2.956 trillion of their P3.126 trillion in allocations by the end of July. Unused NCAs amounted to P169.943 billion, the DBM said. NCAs are disbursement authorities issued by the DBM to agencies, allowing them to withdraw funds from the Bureau of the Treasury for their spending needs. Government departments and other agencies used P1.988 trillion, or 92.2%, of their allocations by the end of July, leaving P168.09 billion unused. This was also slightly higher than the year-earlier 92% utilization rate. At the end of July, the Office of the Vice-President and the Commission on Audit posted utilization rates at 99.7% each. These were followed by the departments of Foreign Affairs (99.3%), Energy (99.1%) and National Defense (98.4%). The Office of the President posted a 69.4% utilization rate. The rest of the laggards were the Presidential Communications Office (72%), Civil Service Commission (73.3%), the Department of Labor and Employment (76.8%) and Commission on Elections (76.9%). The Department of Public Works and Highways saw its utilization rate fall to 86.2% from 94% a year earlier. Its cash allocations also nearly halved to P320.1 billion at the end of July from P610 billion a year earlier. On the other hand, Department of Energy NCA releases surged to P31.66 billion at the end of July from P1.65 billion a year earlier. Its utilization rate rose to 99.1% from 63%. Budgetary support to GOCCs was 98.9% utilized by the end of July, leaving P1.522 billion unused out of the P133.641-billion allocation. Meanwhile, allocations to LGUs were almost fully utilized, with the rate rounding up to 100%, leaving P330.4 million remaining unused. The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority used 93.3% of its NCAs. — Justine Irish D. Tabile